That last little cold snap did not seem to be as bad as expected. However, the gardens in low spots may have taken a hit with the frost.
The frost was bad enough that I had to scrape the ice off of my windshield and there was a layer on the edges of the roof when I first went outside. It warmed up quickly and everything seemed to be all right.
A few ghost skins were seen in some places but not near as many as the week before. You have surprised everyone and survived the spring temperature variations but there is another test for you coming up real soon and it will be in two parts. The first is the record breaking high temperatures. Failure on your part to keep those young and tender plants or new seedlings adequately watered will cause them to wilt and possibly die. So you go from a cold extreme to a heat extreme. This is so much fun. The second test is going to be the thunderstorms and wind.
It may rain so fast and heavy that your young plants get thoroughly water logged and they may even be washed away if you garden is not made properly. The wind may blow your young plants over and leave them lying in the water where they just drown. They have a chance if you stand them back up in a timely fashion. The wind will cause the young plants to dry out too fast and leave them starving for water, even after a heavy rain. So you have learned a lot about your garden this year. The plants don’t like the cold temperatures, they don’t like the fluctuating temperatures when the seasons can’t make up their minds, they don’t like the wind, they don’t like too much water too fast, they don’t like the heat when they are newborn, and you will soon learn they don’t like the direct sunlight. I know, most gardens are in the sun all day long and they do well but only because someone is taking care of everything. A really good garden doesn’t happen by accident but it may well happen by ignorance when you do the right things but don’t know why. As long as you do it right it doesn’t matter which category you fall into.
In the Community Garden the tomatoes are planted and some okra is in the ground. On May 14th, there will be a group to finish planting seeds in the garden. The ground will be warm so germination should occur in about seven days. And what was that thought that just crossed your mind? Germination always takes about seven days and it doesn’t matter what the soil temperature is. That is just a fact of nature. Once the roots get started they like the warm soil and may grow faster and stronger if taken care of properly.
So come on down and walk through the garden and check things out.
Can you tell me more about the community gardens? What is the purpose? Who can get involved? Could I as an individual, have a plot? Is there a cost? Who is the contact person?